Automatic flushing or cleaning device for automatic musical instruments.



G. P. BRAND.

AUTOMATIC FLUSHING 0R CLEANING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I3. I915.

1,232,200. Patented July 3, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

D I Q] If) E G.P.BRAND. AUTOMATIC FLUSHING OR CLEANING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, I915- G.P.BRANDf AUTOMATIC FLUSHING 0R CLEANING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1915.

1 ,QSQ ZOO. Patented July 3, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE P. BRAND, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGN'OR OF ONE-HALF TO OTTO HIGEL CO. I1\TC OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC FLUSHING OR CLEANING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL IN STRU- MENTS.

Application filed April 13, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE P. BRAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Flushing or Cleaning Devices for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to automatic musical instruments and it has for its objects among others to provide means for automatically cleaning out the guide openings and connections which have heretofore become clogged with dirt and particles from the music sheet caused by the running of the said sheet over the guide openings. This often requires the sending of a competent player expert many miles for the express purpose of cleaning out these openings so that perfect playing may be obtained. I aim to obviate this expense by providing means which shall automatically flush or clean out these openings by suction from the exhaust mechanism. This requires no at tention on the part of the operator and as it operates at each rewind there is no opportunity for any great accumulation of lint or other foreign substance to collect in the openings or connections.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a front elevation, with portions broken away, showing the application of my present improvement.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation with parts broken away.

Fig. 3 is a top plan with the spools and tracker-bar removed.

Fig. i is a longitudinal section through the flushing members with the parts inverted.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the cut-out block.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Serial No. 21,169.

Fig. 8 is a detail of the cut-out valve.

Fig. 9 is a detail in plan, showing means for moving the note sheet out of contact with the openings so as to admit air to the openings.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the sheet removing device.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail showing the sheet removed from the trackerbar.

Fig. 12 is a detail in section, as on the line 1212 of Fig. 10.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings,

1 designates the music spool box, 2 the tracker bar, 3 the perforated note sheet, f the music spool, and 5 the take-up spool. These parts, as well as all others of the in strument, except as hereinafter specified, may be of any well known or approved form of construction and operating in the usual way.

6 are movable sheet-controlling ports which are while playing covered, more or less, by the note sheet. 7 are tubes leading from and movable with these openings, and these, in turn, connect by means of passages 8 in the member 9 and the tubes 10 and 11 with the fiusher member 12, seen in Figs. 2 and 6. The flusher member consists of two parts, one movable with relation to the other. 12 is the movable part and 13 is the fixed part. The fixed part is secured to the pneumatic 14: in any well known way as by gluing. The movable part 12 is pivotally mounted on suitable means, as a screw 15, see Fig. 4., and is formed with a longitudinal passage 16 with which is connected the tube 17 adapted to be connected with the exhaust mechanism of the player in any suitable manner which supplies suction both on the rewind and on playing. Near one end of this passage there are the three openings 18, 19 and 20, as seen in Figs. 4: and 5. The fixed part 13 has upon its inner face the two openings 21 and 22 and the elongated slot 23, as seen in Fig. 4. The openings 21 and '22 are branched, as seen in Fig. 6, and with one of the branches of the opening 21 the tube 11 connects. From the other branch of this opening 21 there extends a tube 24 which connects with the valve chest 25, as seen in Fig. 2 common in all automatic musical instruments of this character. With the other branched opening 22, the tube 10 connects and from this branched opening extends the tube 26 which communicates with the valve chest 25, as seen also in Fig. 2. 27 is a tube communicating with the slot 23 and with the valve chest 25 to supply tension to the centralizing mechanism of the player to be operated by the ports 6.

28 are pneumatics for controlling the movement of the openings 6, there being one near each end of the music box and these are connected with the valve chest 25 by means of the tubes 29 and 30, as seen in Fig. 2. The construction and operation of this mechanism is clearly set forth in my companion application for flange controlling mechanism, of even date herewith, Case B, Serial No. 21,164.

From the pneumatics 28 extend the rods 31 rigidly fixed thereto and extended upward through openings in the member 32, as seen in Fig. 1, and are arranged to act upon the members 33 which, in turn, actuate the slides 34 which carry the movable openings 6, as seen in Fig. 3. The lower ends of these members 33 are extended laterally, as seen in Fig. 3, and their adjacent ends are pivotally connected, as at 35 and 36, with the ends of a lever 3'? pivoted, as at 38, so that the two members 33 move in unison,

These members 33 bear against the hubs of the flanges 39 of the take-up spool to actuate them toward and from each other.

The movable member 12 of the flusher mechanism is actuated in the following manner: hen the driving mechanism is reversed for the rewind, a rod 40 is moved therewith to the right. The inner end of this rod is pivotally connected, as at 41, with one end of a valve member 42, the other end of which is pivotally mounted, as at 43, upon the cut-out block 44, having at the end farthest from the pivot of the valve an opening 45, near its outer edge, and another opening 46 near its center, as seen in Fig. 8, this latter opening being connected vith the exhaust through the T connection 47 and the tube 27 hereinbefore referred to, as shown in Fig. 2. The opening 45 is connected by the tube 48 with the pneumatic 14, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. When the valve 42 is moved to its open position, as seen in Fig. 8, uncovering the port 45, atmosphere is admitted into the pneumatic 14, bringing the same into its inflated condition, moving the movable member 12 into position so that the ports 18 and 21-and 19 and 22 are brought into register. Then in this position, the port 46 is closed. The inner side of the valve member 42 is provided with a transverse channel or chamber 49 af- 45 and 46 when the valve member is closed.

The parts are now in position for flushing the openings 6, the tubes 10 and all other connections which are liable to collect dirt and the like during the playing of the instrument. This takes place by reason of the holes 6 being thrown outward by the movement of the slides 34 beyond the edges of the note. sheet and the pneumatics 28 inflated to accomplish this and to allow the springs of the take-up spool to force the flanges 39 outward at the same time the holes are moved outward, and the dirt that has accumulated in the openings and connections is drawn through the tube 17 into the exhaust. When the parts are not being flushed, the ports 18 and 21 and 19 and 22 are out of register. When flushing, the course of the air is direct from the windchest so that the air is removed from all of the openings.

In cases where the guide openings are stationary and not movable, I provide means for lifting the note sheet away from the said openings so as to permit of the flushing out of the openings and connections.

Such is shown in Figs. 9 to 12 in which 50 is a push bar which is adapted to engage the note sheet and move the same away from the trackerbar, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 11. This bar is provided with the elongated slots 51 in which are engaged the pins or the like 52 mounted in the trackerbar. This push bar is designed to be actuated as follows :@n the shelf 53 back of the trackerbar are the bell crank levers 54 pivoted at their angles 55, one arm of each lever being pivotally connected, as at 56,

with an actuating bar 57 and the other arms having plvotally connected therewith the links 58 and the other ends of which are connected, as at 59, with the ends of the push bar, as seen clearly in Figs. 9 and 10. The bar 57 has an extension 60, to the outer end of which is connected a link 61 which is operatively connected with the rewind lever 62 through the medium of the vertical member 63, the upper end of which is mounted in a lateral support 64 extending from the end of the box 1, as seen in Fig. 9.

hen it is desired to uncover the openings as 65, see Fig. 11, the rewind lever is actuated and this causes the push bar 50 to be moved from the full line position in Fig. 11 to its dotted line position, moving the note sheet 3 therewith out of contact with the trackerbar 2, so that the Openings will be uncovered and the fiusher will suck the dirt, etc. therefrom in the same manner as above described in connection with Figs, 1 to 8.

Modifications in details may be resorted "to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

What is claimed as new is 1. In an automatic musical instrument having laterally movable guide openings, pneumatic means thrown into operation by the movement of said openings for cleaning the passages thereof.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument having laterally movable guide openings, pneumatic means thrown into operation by the movement of said openings for cleaning out the controlling openings and connec tions therefrom.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument having laterally movable guide openings, means for throwing the controlling guide openings and connections in communication with the exhaust for cleaning out said openings and connections by the movement of said openings.

at. In a mechanical musical instrument, laterally movable sheet controlled openings, connections therefrom, a passage cleaning mechanism in communication with said c0nnections and operable therewith through the movement of said openings for use when cleaning or playing.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, laterally movable sheet controlled openings, connections therefrom, a passage cleaning mechanism in communication with said connections and operable therewith for use when cleaning during the rewind.

6. In a mechanical musical instrument, laterally movable note sheet controlled openings, a passage cleaning mechanism tor cleaning the same and pneumatic means for operation in conjunction with the cleaner.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, laterally movable sheet controlled openings,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner a passage cleaner and pneumatic means normally collapsed while playing for holding said cleaner inoperative during the playing of the instrument.

8. In a mechanical musical instrument, sheet controlled openings, a passage cleaning controlling valve and pneumatic means normally collapsed for holding said cleaner inoperative during playing, said pneumatic being inflatable to allow the parts to assume their cleaning position.

9. In a mechanical musical instrument, a passage cleaner embodying a relatively fixed part, and a movable part, said parts being superimposed and having registering openings thrown out of register while playing and a pneumatic for moving said movable part and a valve for operating said pneumatic.

10. In a mechanical musical instrument, a passage cleaner embodying a relatively fixed part, and a movable part, said parts being superimposed and having registering openings thrown out of register while playing, means whereby they are thrown into register for cleaning, and a pneumatic for moving said movable part and a valve for operating said pneumatic.

11. In a mechanical musical instrument, a passage cleaning device, guide openings and means for moving them from under control of a note sheet for cleaning.

12. In a mechanical musical instrument, a passage cleaning device, guide openings and means for moving them laterally beyond the edges of a note sheet for cleaning.

In testimonv whereof I afliX my signature.

GEORGE 3?. BRAND.

of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

